Paraty Carnival

Secretaria de Turismo de Parati
Phone: (55) 24-371-1222

Paraty Carnival is held in the old colonial town of Parati—the perfect alternative to the massive Rio de Janeiro Carnival. Sited in a utopian environment—this festival is more traditional and less crowded. Just like the larger carnivals, Paraty’s celebrations play on fantasies, but it is more akin to the Venice Carnival in Italy or the Carnaval de Olinda in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. It includes masked blocos, or carnival groups, along with children and adults in fancy dress and effigies of legendary personalities. Carnival costume allows the people to be someone or something else for a couple of days, escaping from everyday life into the world of fantasy. They often aim (harmlessly) to scare the passers-by with skulls and deformed papier machê heads. Although most of the celebrations take place in the historic district of Paraty, there are plenty of other events on the local beaches, including the Bloco de Lama, which traditionally starts from the Praia do Jabaquara before continuing around the town. This group represents a prehistoric tribe whose objective is to frighten off evil spirits. This event is free.

http://www.paraty.com.br/feriados/carnaval/